| OCR Text |
Show 1887.] VALUE OF COLOUR AND MARKINGS IN INSECTS. 271 June 11.-I. Four imagos of P. bueephala were introduced, one was seized directly but relinquished ; ultimately all four were eaten. Four larvse of Abraxas grossulariata were untouched. III. Two imagos of Cerura vinula and four of P. bueephala were all taken ultimately. These Lizards (L. viridis) were very shy, and hardly ever seized an insect before an observer; being quite unlike L. muralis in this respect. Two larvse of A. grossulariata disappeared, but they may have escaped, being small larvse. IV. Five larvse of A. grossulariata introduced ; I saw one severely bitten, in fact chewed for some time, but it was ultimately relinquished. One larva of C. neustria was also added, and with the A. crossulariata could not be seen on the next day. It is possible that they may have escaped, and I do not attach importance to their absence, unless escape was impossible. One imago of P. bueephala was ultimately eaten. V. Two imagos of Amphydasis betularia, one of Mamestra persi-caria, one of M. brassica, and one pupa of Plusia gamma were introduced and all eaten (I witnessed the capture of one betularia and the persicaria). Four larvse of A. grossulariata were untouched. VI. Two imagos of P. bueephala were eaten ultimately. June 13.-V. One imago of Acronycta psi was ultimately eaten. June 15.-I. Three imagos of P. bueephala were all eaten by the next day. III. Six imagos of P. bueephala were introduced, and five were eaten by the next day. V. One imago of A. cardamines ( $ ) was eaten by the next day. VI. Four imagos of P. bueephala were introduced and three were eaten by the next day. In these cases the insects may have been eaten at any time between their introduction and the next day, when the next observation was taken. June 17.-I. One imago of Sphinx ligustri was introduced and untouched. V. One imago of Hadena oleracea and one of A. psi were eaten by the next day. June 18.-I. The S. ligustri introduced yesterday was resting on the upper part of the cage out of reach of the Lizards; it was again placed on the floor of the case, but remained untouched. June 19.-III. The S. ligustri was still untouched in I. cage, and it was therefore removed and placed in III. When the next observation was made, a few hours later, it was entirely eaten except a piece of one wing. I. Two full-fed larvse of Taniocampa gothica, found feeding upon Aconitum napellus, were introduced to see if they were affected as food by the exceedingly poisonous properties and strong taste of the plant upon which they had been feeding. It seemed possible that the undigested food in the larval digestive tract might be harmful to the Lizards, even if the insects made no further use of the properties 19* |
